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Workplace spirituality,
psychological well-being and
mediating role of subjective stress
A case of secondary school teachers in India
Manju Mahipalan and Sheena S.
National Institute of Technology, Surathkal, India
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of spirituality on subjective stress and
psychological well-being (PWB). Additionally, the study also examines the mediating role of stress in the
spirituality –well-being relationship.
Design/methodology/approach –The study is quantitative in nature. Data were collected from 322
secondary school teachers using a structured questionnaire. Partial least squares based structural equation
modelling was used to analyse the data.
Findings –Results indicated a positive relationship between spirituality and PWB but an inverse
relationship between job stresses. Also, subjective stress was found to be a significant mediator in the
relationship between spirituality and well-being.
Social implications –The inner resource of spirituality among teachers can be tapped to cope with
perceived stress levels thereby augmenting a sense of well-being. Psychologically clear and receptive minds
are indispensable in the process of teaching.
Originality/value –The present study combines the evolving construct of workplace spirituality with
PWB and subjective stress, which are under explored in the social sector.
Keywords Workplace spirituality, Subjective stress, Psychological well-being, Teachers
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
With the advancement of technology and world shrinking to a smaller size, humankind has
more comforts than ever before. There are novel ways of entertaining oneself and be
oblivious to the happenings around them. The contradicting fact is that even amidst all
comforts and materialistic accomplishments, people come across a sense of loss and a
feeling of meaninglessness. This sense of dispiritedness pervades all corners of life
including one’s professional life. It is in this context that spirituality at work requires
conscious consideration. In the traditional perspective, the workplace was considered as a
place to earn one’s bread and butter and not a place to nourish the soul. Ironically, the work
that provides one’s sustenance is revered and respected in most of the cultures across the
globe. Work orient our lives in line with our quest for meaning. No wonder, this
phenomenon is gaining worldwide attention in today’s management practices. Though
there had been discussions on the role of spirituality at workplace long before, serious
research in the field, which focussed exclusively on the exploration of this phenomenon, did
not start until the 1990s with Mitroff and Denton (1999) undertaking a comprehensive study
on the meaning and nature of workplace spirituality (WS). The qualitative study indicated
that the participants found spirituality a relevant topic for discussion in the workplace and
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spirituality
725
Received 3 October2018
Revised 19 December2018
23 December 2018
25 February 2019
26 April 2019
Accepted 19 July2019
International Journal of Ethics and
Systems
Vol. 35 No. 4, 2019
pp. 725-739
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2514-9369
DOI 10.1108/IJOES-10-2018-0144
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/2514-9369.htm
sought ways to express their spirituality. With Ashmos and Duchon (2000) conceptualising
the phenomenon and developing a scale for empirically testing its impact, spirituality at
work started getting defined with several different dimensions. Now, two decades of
research in the area confirms the positive benefits of the spiritual side of the individual for
employees and organisations (Crawford et al., 2008;Gatling et al.,2016;Kazemipour et al.,
2012;Milliman et al., 2003,2018).
Psychological well-being (PWB) has been studied in relation to spirituality. However, the
focus more on than spirituality (Green and Elliott, 2010;Maltby et al., 1999). Furthermore,
this relationship has been explored more from patients’perspective who are battling cancer
or other terminal illness, as well as from older adults and caregivers (Kim et al.,2011;Visser
et al.,2009;Yoon and Lee, 2006). There is a paucity of research, which discusses the
relevance of non-religious spirituality and PWB for employees working with profit and not
for profit organisations. Seen in this context, the objectives of the study are identified as
follows:
the primary objective is to contribute to the evolving literature on WS thereby
integrating the topic of spirituality into the mainstream of management, ensuring
consilience between diverse topics and encouraging a multidisciplinary view of the
subject; and
the secondary objective to assess the impact of WS on job stress and PWB that are
important aspects of employee’s overall well-being.
The next section of this article reviews relevant literature and introduces the study
variables. Subsequent sections deal with the methodological aspects and results of the
study. The final part carries the discussion on the findings, implications and concludes the
study.
Review of literature and theoretical background
Workplace spirituality
Though spirituality as a movement started long back, methodical research in the field
started in the 1990s and continue till date (Houghton et al., 2016). The rising interest in
spirituality was markedly attributed to changes in the work environment, which made the
employees yearn for something more in their lives (Hicks, 2003;Mitroff and Denton, 1999).
Even though there is no unanimously accepted definition of spirituality, researchers agree
on the fact that spirituality at work is a multi-dimensional concept, the comprehensive
depiction of which is a formidable task, as the abstract concept of spirituality cannot
be understood only through reductionist methods. Nevertheless, to start with, there are
numerous definitions of spirituality, which are widely accepted and studied. Ashmos and
Duchon (2000) defined spirituality in terms of the existence of an inner presence, which is
strengthened by interactions and relationships among people. Not only did they
conceptualise spirituality but also developed a scale to measure the phenomenon. Giacalone
and Jurkiewicz (2003) explained the phenomenon of spirituality as a framework of
organisational values, which promotes the individual’s experience of transcendence through
work. Transcendence has been identified as a critical dimension of spirituality by other
researchers also Ashforth and Pratt (2010) and Dehler and Welsh (2003). Building on
Ashmos and Duchon’s (2000) conceptualisation, Milliman et al. (2003) modified the scale
placing spirituality at three levels, namely, individual, group and organisational. By
identifying spirituality at different levels, Milliman et al. (2003) examined the effects of
different dimensions on different work outcomes and found that spirituality positively
influences employee attitudes such as organisational commitment, job satisfaction and job
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involvement. These findings were further validated in other contexts (Crawford et al.,2008;
Pawar, 2009;Rego and Cunha, 2008;van der Walt and de Klerk, 2014). Additionally,
spirituality was found to be negatively related to turnover intentions and stress (Daniel,
2015;Gupta et al., 2014;Milliman et al.,2003). Though spirituality and religion were being
used interchangeably in the past, recent literature on spirituality holds a non-religious
meaning, maintaining that spirituality and religion are different constructs (Mitroff and
Denton, 1999;Paloutzian et al., 2003).
For this study, spirituality is operationalised by Ashmos and Duchon’s (2000) definition,
which centres on the dimensions of meaningful work, sense of community and inner life.
Meaningful work refers to being engaged in a work that the employee perceives to be
important. Sense of community is about an atmosphere of interconnectedness and
belongingness at the workplace. Inner life is the presence of inner strength or spirit, which
aids the individual to carry out their activities at work.
Subjective stress
Stress is a widespread phenomenon experienced by employees today. There are no
universally agreed upon definitions of stress (Beehr and Newman, 1978). Motowidlo et al.
(1986,p.618)definesstressas“an unpleasant emotional experience associated with
elements of fear, dread, anxiety, irritation, annoyance, anger, sadness, grief and
depression”. When the environment presents a demand exceeding the capabilities of
the individual, potential stress arises (McGrath, 1976). From the engineering
conceptualisation of stress, stress is a force, which induces strain and causes damage to
the environment (McLean, 1974). Stress is also analysed as a condition at work causing
physiological or psychological disruptions (Margolis et al., 1974). Another way of
explicating job stress is through the person-environment fitmodel,whichdetailstwo
types of relationship as follows (French et al.,1974): the extent to which the individual’s
capabilities and skills match his/her job requirements is one fit; and the degree to which
the employee’sneedsarefulfilled/supplied by the job environment is another fit. Job
stress occurs when there is a case of misfit in either of these relationships. World Health
Organisation defines occupational or job stress as “the response people may have when
presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and
abilities, and which challenge their ability to cope”.Thisdefinition clearly indicates that
stress arises when there is a mismatch between the capabilities of a person and what is
ultimately demanded out of him/her. As identified from the popular theories of workplace
stress, job stress originates from job overload and pressure, low levels of autonomy at the
job and low level of social support (Karasek and Theorell, 1990). Low levels of reward in
terms of recognition, pay and promotion despite high commitment levels also act as
potential stressors (Siegrist, 1996).
Spirituality and job stress
Research indicates a negative relationship between WS and work stress. In a study, which
involved elementary school teachers, meaningful work was found to reduce physical,
emotional and mental stress (Knoop, 1994). Britt et al. (2001) explained that when people are
engaged in meaningful work, they develop the ability to derive long-term benefits from
stressful events. In a cross-cultural study of spirituality at work, Daniel (2015) found
meaningful work to be negatively and significantly correlated to work stress. Sense of
community promotes a culture of cooperation, communication and constant support. A high
degree of cooperation along with the support of organisations reduces stress (Zeffane and
McLoughlin, 2006). Findings of another recent study revealed that WS positively correlated
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with health and moderated the relationship between stress and health by reducing the
adverse effects of stress on health (Kumar and Kumar, 2014). In summary, based on the
literature one can reasonably assume that spirituality could alter perspectives and enable
the person to draw the best out of worst circumstances. This can lead to an overall reduction
in stress levels, as well as display of adaptive behaviours during adversities in life.
Therefore:
H1. Higher the level of spirituality, lower the level of stress in individuals.
Psychological well-being
Well-being is a multi-dimensional concept, which encompasses subjective, social, physical
and psychological, and health-related behaviours. There are two traditions in the study of
well-being. The hedonistic view equates well-being with happiness and successful pursuit of
human desires. According to this perspective, PWB implies a positive mental state with a
high level of happiness and satisfaction. This aspect of PWB where individuals experience
positive emotions can be termed as subjective well-being (Diener, 2000). However, Ryff
(1989), who did pioneering work in the field of PWB, pointed out that there is more to it as
PWB, apart from positive feelings, also includes a feeling of leading a life of meaning and
purpose. Drawing theoretical guidance from developmental psychology, clinical psychology
and literature on mental health, Ryff (1989) identified six core dimensions of well-being.
These components of well-being are purpose in life, environmental mastery, positive
relationships, personal growth, autonomy and self-acceptance. These indicators originated
from a “eudaimonic”perspective instead of “hedonic”approach where only life satisfaction
and happiness are the criteria to measure PWB. Self-determination theory (SDT) proposed
by Ryan and Deci (2000), while embracing the eudaimonic concept of well-being, posited
that three basic psychological needs-autonomy, competence and relatedness are essential for
well-being. SDT viewed these as conditions to foster well-being than attempting to define
well-being. To put it briefly, well-being is conceived as a multi-faceted, which includes
hedonistic and eudaimonic aspects (Ryan and Deci, 2001) where both happiness and
meaning are implicated.
Spirituality and psychological well-being
The relationship between spirituality and PWB can be explained with “eudaimonic”
view of well-being with PWB in focus. According to the Aristotelian view, well-being
lies in achieving the best that is within us. It is about activities that are in accord with
our virtues so that one knows his/her highest self and becomes united with that.
Philosophers, religious masters and visionaries from eastern and western traditions
have upheld this view where well-being is associated with leading a meaningful life
through challenges and exerting efforts. Among the six core dimensions of PWB
theoretically and operationally explained (Ryff and Singer, 1998), one aspect is life
purpose. Life purpose provides the individual with a sense of directedness and
intentionality. Similarly, through spirituality, the individual tries to make sense out of
his/her actions and meaning of existence. When the work becomes meaningful and vital
to the employee, his/her experiences greater satisfaction and happiness, which
eventually ensures PWB to an extent. Similarly, real relationships among people
generate compassion and results in the harmonious existence of people. Such a
workplace climate can positively influence the mental state of the employees. Studies
mostly confirm the positive correlation between spirituality and PWB. Personal
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spirituality was found to predict subjective well-being and moderated the relationship
between different stressors and life satisfaction (Fabricatore et al., 2000). Spirituality
was also found to moderate the relationship between negative life experiences and
psychological adjustment (Young et al., 2000). Results of a study conducted among 205
participants with different religious affiliations showed that individuals with higher
levels of spirituality showed higher levels of self-actualisation and meaning in life
(Ivtzan et al., 2013). Based on the literature, the following hypothesis has been
postulated for the study:
H2. Higher the level of spirituality, greater the PWB of individuals.
Subjective stress and psychological well-being
Upon reviewing the literature on stress and well-being, one can find reasonably small
but growing evidence of the impact of stress on well-being. Karasek’s (1979) interaction
model on occupational stress and job control posits that higher psychological demands
of a job and lesser control on the job can lower the health and well-being of the
employees. Daniels and Guppy (1994) in a study among accountants found that
stressors had a severe impact on PWB, which was buffered by social support and
participative decision making practices. Luo (1999) also found a significant relationship
between occupational stressors and strain, which was moderated by work motivation
and social support. Other recent studies also share similar observations on the
relationship between stress and mental health (Fujishiro and Heaney, 2009;Ganster
and Rosen, 2013). However, the majority of the studies have focussed on the adverse
impact of stress on mental well-being. If higher levels of stress could reduce the PWB, it
also plausible that lower stress levels could promote well-being among individuals.
From this vantage point, the study assumes that a higher level of spirituality would
reduce the perceived stress and lower stress levels would enhance PWB. Consequently,
the following hypothesis is proposed:
H3. Lower levels of subjective stress will lead to higher levels of PWB.
As the study assumes a direct relationship between WS, job stress and PWB, it also
tenable that job stress plays the role of a mediator influencing the relationship
between WS and PWB. Therefore, the study posits that when the spiritual level of an
individual is high, the person perceives less stress at the workplace, which
would enhance his or her PWB subsequently. Thus, the following hypothesis is
postulated:
H4. Job stress will mediate the relationship between WS and PWB (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Conceptual model
showing the
relationships between
WS and PWB with
subjective stress as a
mediator
Workplace
Spirituality
Subjecve
Stress
Psychological
Well-being
Workplace
spirituality
729
Conceptual model
Method
Sample. The population considered for this research was high school teachers working with
state-run schools in the southern region of India. A non-probabilistic sampling technique
was used to select the sample. The researcher personally administered 354 questionnaires
among the study participants. In total, 322 filled up questionnaires were returned indicating
a response rate of 91 per cent. Out of the total respondents, 127 were female participants.
The mean age of the participants was 34.4years and average tenure in the institution was
7.7 years. In total, 79 per cent of the participants were married, and 82 per cent of the
respondents were postgraduates.
Measures. WS: For measuring WS, Ashmos and Duchon’s (2000) scale was used to
measure dimensions of meaningful work and inner life. Sense of community was measured
using the scale developed by Milliman et al. (2003). Meaningful work and sense of
community included seven items each while inner life consisted of five items. All the items
were measured on a Likert scale with one indicating “strong disagreement”and seven
representing “strong agreement”. WS has been analysed as a single construct, which is
reflective of the three dimensions.
Subjective Stress: Motowidlo et al. (1986) four-item scale was used used to measure job
stress. Two items in the scale were reverse coded. All the items were measured on a seven-
point scale with one and seven representing “strong disagreement”and “strong agreement”,
respectively.
PWB: PWB was assessed using six items from mental health continuum-short form
developed by Keyes (2009) from the long form, which consisted of 40 items. Six items in the
scale measure different aspects of PWB, namely, self-acceptance, environmental mastery,
positive relations with others, personal growth, autonomy and purpose in life. All the items
are measured on a six-point Likert scale with zero indicating “never”and six representing
“every day”.
Analysis and results
The data were analysed using partial least square (PLS) based structural equation
modelling (SEM), which is a variance based SEM technique. Although covariance based
SEM is a popular method, recent studies demonstrate the growing acceptance for PLS-SEM
across various disciplines (Hair et al.,2013). For this study, PLS-SEM was chosen for several
reasons. Sosik et al. (2009) opined that soft modelling addresses the issues of small sample
size, nascent theory and subjective observation of the phenomena, which are common in
group and organisation research. A meta-analysis of PLS-SEM review studies from different
business disciplines found that most of the studies use PLS for three major reasons, namely,
non-normal data, formative models and small sample sizes (Hair et al., 2014). PLS-SEM has
soft distributional assumptions with no assumptions of a specific distributional pattern
(Chin, 2010;Henseler et al., 2009). Hence, there is no violation of the normality assumption in
PLS. In short, PLS-based SEM was used for the current study because of small sample size
and soft distribution assumptions. WarpPLS 6.0 version was the software tool used for SEM
analysis. WarpPLS 6.0 is a recent addition to PLS-SEM based software and has the
additional advantage of treating nonlinear relationship commonly found in behavioural
data. Hence, WarpPLS enables users to create a realistic picture of the data. PLS-SEM
follows a two-phase approach for the reporting of results. In the first phase, the assessment
of the measurement model or the outer model is carried out by establishing the validity and
reliability of the constructs chosen for the study.
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Measurement model
Reliability of a construct indicates the internal consistency of its measuring instrument
ensuring its accuracy and precision. A reliable measure produces the same results when used
several times (Hair et al., 1998). A widely reported measure of reliability is Cronbach’s alpha,
and a value of 0.7 and above indicates good reliability (George and Mallery, 2003;Nunnally,
1978). Composite reliability (CR) is also a popular measure of reliability and is interpreted
similarly to alpha values. As CR is a more suitable indicator of reliability in the context of PLS-
SEM (Hair et al., 2016), both the values for all the latent constructs are reported. Establishing
validity includes examining the convergent validity and the discriminant validity of the
constructs involved. Convergent validity is present if when multiple items measuring the same
construct are highly correlated with each other indicating a convergence between the items
(O’Leary-Kelly and J. Vokurka, 1998). When the average variance extracted (AVE) and item
loadings are 0.5 and above, a reflective construct will display convergent validity (Chin, 2010).
Discriminant validity ensures that the constructs in the model are unrelated to each other and
are unique. Fornell and Larcker (1981) suggest that square root of AVE of a construct should be
higher than the inter-construct correlations for establishing discriminant validity. Table I
presents the descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients, reliability scores and the square root
of AVEs for all the latent constructs.
The alpha and CR values are above the cut-off level. The factor loadings for the
constructs were also satisfactory, and the square root of AVE is higher than the correlation
values for all the constructs. Hence, the validity and reliability criteria are met. Also, a
collinearity test was also performed to find out whether the problem of multicollinearity
exists among the constructs. Collinearity can occur vertically, which is between the
predictor variables (Hair et al., 1998) or laterally between the predictor and criterion variable
(Kock and Lynn, 2012). Variance inflation factor was calculated for each latent variable and
was below the threshold level of 3.3, which is the norm in PLS-SEM (Kock and Lynn, 2012).
Structural model
The structural model depicts the relationships among the latent variables in the study. The
structural model in PLS-SEM is evaluated through the variance explanation of the
endogenous constructs (R
2
), calculation of effect sizes (f
2
) and predictive relevance of
the model (Q
2
)(Chin, 2010). The proposed hypotheses are tested and reported with the path
coefficients along with Pvalues. Additionally, the mediating process is also analysed by
examining the indirect effects.
WarpPLS, in addition to other results, also generates several model fit indices of which
three main indices are reported widely. These are average path coefficient (APC), average R
2
(ARS) and average variance inflation factor (AVIF) (Kock, 2017). The Pvalues for APC and
Table I.
Means, standard
deviations,
correlation, reliability
and square root of
AVEs
Latent constructs M SD
a
CR 1 2 3 4 5
MW (WS) 4.72 1.30 0.88 0.93 (0.824)
SC (WS) 4.31 1.10 0.90 0.93 0.22** (0.817)
IL (WS) 5.1 1.73 0.88 0.90 0.311** 0.201** (0.80)
SS 4.76 1.32 0.88 0.90 0.341** 0.212** 0.28** (0.811)
PWB 5.12 0.91 0.89 0.90 0.55** 0.47** 0.59** V0.39** (0.789)
Notes: **p<0.01, SD = standard deviation,
a
= Cronbach’s alpha, MW = meaningful work, SC = sense of
community, IL = inner life, SS = subjective stress, PWB = psychological well-being and WS = workplace
spirituality. Square root of AVE shown in diagonal
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ARS are to be significant at 0.05 level or lower (Kock, 2011). AVIF value is to be less than 3.3
specifically for models with multiple indicators (Kock, 2017). The model fit indices are
particularly useful in case of multiple model comparisons to assess the model quality. Path
coefficients are assessed in terms of their sign, magnitude and significance. PLS-SEM uses
bootstrapping for calculating Pvalues as the data are not presumed to be normally
distributed. Moreover, WarpPLS identifies non-linear relationships among the latent
constructs, which are common in social science research and automatically correct the
coefficients, which is called warping (Kock, 2010). Also, the effect sizes of the paths are also
calculated simultaneously by the software. For the interpretation of effect sizes, Cohen’s
(1988) guidelines are used by which values of 0.02, 0.15 and 0.35 indicate small, medium and
large effects of the predictor variable on the dependent variable, respectively. Table II
presents the direct path coefficients.
The results of the path analysis show strong support for the relationships among the
study variables providing evidence to support H1–H3. The beta value for WS is significant
for job stress indicating a significant negative relationship between the two. As predicted,
WS was significant for PWB.
Mediating effect
For testing the mediating effect of job stress on the relationship between spirituality and
PWB, the indirect effect was examined. Indirect effects are automatically generated by
WarpPLS allowing users to directly interpret the mediating effect without resorting to
intermediate calculations involved in the traditional approaches (Baron and Kenny, 1986).
WarpPLS consolidates Preacher and Hayes (2004) approach for linear and Hayes and
Preacher (2010) for nonlinear relationships for calculating the mediating effect. This is
especially useful for models having multiple mediations. Total effect represents the direct
effect of WS on the outcome along with the indirect effect produced by the mediator.
Table III presents the results of mediation.
The results show the direct and indirect effect of WS on PWB. The direct effect of
spirituality is still significant, and hence, it can be concluded that this is a case of partial
mediation.
Table II.
Direct path
coefficients
Path Beta values
WS !job stress 0.77***
WS !PWB 0.55***
Job stress !PWB 0.40***
Note: ***p<0.001
Source: Data analysis
Table III.
Direct, indirect effect
and total effect
Endogenous construct WS (
b
) Effect sizes
PWB
Direct effect 0.251*** 0.15, medium
Indirect effect 0.308*** 0.22, medium
Total effect 0.559*** 0.32, medium
Note: ***p<0.01
Source: Data analysis
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Along with the path coefficients, R
2
is also to be reported as they assess the explanatory
power of the model. R
2
coefficients explain the combined effects of the exogenous variables
on the endogenous variable. In addition, the predictive relevance of the model was also
calculated. Q
2
coefficient greater than zero implies predictive relevance. Table IV presents
the R
2
coefficients and Q
2
values for the dependent variables in the study.
The overall findings of the study underpin the relationship between the latent constructs.
Apart from the path coefficients, WS and subjective stress together explained 52 per cent of
the variance in PWB. Following Chin’s (1998) interpretation of R
2
values, the explanatory
power of the model for PWB can be considered as medium (R
2
>0.33). Also, Q
2
value is
above zero implying predictive relevance of the model with a moderate effect (Q
2
= 0.43).
The results of the mediation analysis suggest the existence of partial mediation. The results,
in general, provide supportive evidence for the model proposed. WS buffers the impact of
work stress, which, in turn, proves beneficial for PWB. The partial mediation demonstrates
the direct and indirect influence of spirituality on PWB. The following chapter forms a
detailed discussion and implications of the results.
Discussion and implication
The PLS-SEM analysis reports the significant impact of WS on conditions of stress and
PWB in people. Kinjerski and Skrypnek (2006) suggested that spirituality encompasses deep
feelings of well-being, which overflows to other parts of life. Higher levels of spirituality
indicate lower stress levels and better mental health. This could mean that if the
organisations could harness the spiritual energy of individuals, it could be a readily
accessible resource for warding off stress-related illness. When the sense of spirituality is
elevated, individuals find a sense of purpose, which encourages them to focus less on
unimportant things and thereby eliminate a great deal of unwanted stress. Similarly,
spirituality enables the person to connect to the world and embrace differences that can
result in seeking support during difficult, stressful times. People will manage their daily
stress effectively, once they find the inner resources residing within themselves and harness
their potential. The absence of stress guarantees well-being to a great extent. Spirituality
can significantly influence one’s perceptions. For instance, people with a higher sense of
spirituality perceived lower stress levels and organisations as healthier than people with low
spiritual energy (Csiernik and Adams, 2002). Practices of prayer, meditation, yoga and
similar techniques, which supposedly help in elevating spirituality are reported to be useful
for employees to counteract stressful events (Cash et al., 2000).
While spirituality as an inner resource becomes a mechanism for coping with stress, in
due course, it grants well-being of mind as well. PWB implies an absence of anxiety,
depression or distress. A higher level of spirituality is found to lower levels of anxiety and
depression (Koenig, 2010;McCoubrie and Davies, 2006;Mueller et al.,2001). Spiritual
attitude can result in greater self-acceptance, improved relationships with others, a higher
sense of autonomy in life, providing a purpose in life and ensuring personal growth and
ensure a realistic outlook of the environment and better control over it (Khasab et al.,2015).
Sheep (2006) rightly pointed out that spirituality could be a potentially helpful resource for
Table IV.
R
2
and Q
2
coefficients for the
constructs
Endogenous variable R
2
Q
2
PWB 0.52 0.43
Note: Predictors: WS and subjective stress
Source: Data analysis
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733
organisations to deal with the issues pertaining to employees’quality of life. Also,
spirituality was found to mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and
mental well-being of employees (McKee et al., 2011). Spiritual beliefs contribute to positive
emotions and help to persevere despite the challenges and disadvantages. The results of
mediation prove that spiritual awareness can bring down the stress levels, which eventually
intensifies PWB. Experiencing varying degrees of stress is an inevitable part of work life.
Spiritual awareness does not eliminate this experience but it can shorten these
overwhelming moments of pressure or consternation. Spirituality can promote
transformational coping under stressful conditions by strengthening physical and PWB,
thus, making it an effective tool for minimising the detrimental effect of workplace stress
(Zellars and Perrewé, 2003). Arnetz et al. (2013) also found that spiritual practices at work
attenuates workplace stress and upraises mental well-being. Although research linking
employee well-being and spirituality is still at its nascent stage,the findings of this study are
consistent with the limited literature, which corroborates the existence of a positive
relationship between spirituality and PWB. Overall, spirituality could be seen as an
important psychological factor of good life and can be linked to the broader concept of
eudaimonic well-being (van Dierendonck, 2012) and a necessary determinant for employee
well-being including work-life satisfaction.
The study holds implications for institutions functioning under the social sector. With the
changing times, the educational system is influenced by numerous political, social and
economic factors leaving the employees to deal with resulting uncertainties of various kinds. It
ultimately produces undesirable sequels where people are frustrated, vulnerable and prone to
higher levels of stress. Government schools face multifarious hurdles such as inadequate
infrastructure facilities, paucity of funds, low enrolment of students, competition from private
schools to a name a few and these have a long-term negative fall out on employee morale and
engagement. These effects coupled with demanding work schedules leave teachers
disenchanted and dispirited at work. Apart from addressing the external factors and adopting
remedial measures, one way to effectively tackle this negativity is to create a spirited workplace
and foster a culture of commitment, trust and authenticity. Organisations can reach out in
several ways to incorporate spiritual elements in the workplace. Butts (1999) outlined
dimensions of spirituality such as building whole-system values, measures to optimise human
potential, practices for emotional transformation and learning from spiritual psychologies,
which can be integrated into the system to maximise the benefits of a spiritual workplace.
Many institutions already have spiritual practices such as yoga and meditation as stress-
relieving techniques in place. Along with such efforts, initiating programmes for spiritual
awareness can be rewarding for people, as well as the organisation in the long run. Specifically,
the study has strong implications for the state-run schools in the region, which form the
background for this research. State-run schools act as the backbone of the educational system
in the region. It is only to these public managed schools, children from the economically
backward and downtrodden stream of society have access. In short, these schools are
institutions at the grass-root level, which could exert long-term influence on society. It is crucial
that they survive, flourish and contribute significantly to the community. Educational
institutions need to acknowledge, nurture and promote the spiritual dimension of faculty
because as Lindholm and Astin (2006) observed spiritually oriented faculty consider personal
development of students as important as their intellectual and career development. Besides,
they engage in civic-minded practices for the local community development more frequently
than their non-spiritual counterparts do. Jones (2005) rightly pointed out that spirituality in
education refers to the profound interconnectedness of the students, teacher, and the subject.
That being so it is all-important to cultivate a spiritual atmosphere at the workplace.
IJOES
35,4
734
Conclusion
There is growing complexity in the personal and professional lives of people owing to
various factors. As far as modern workplaces are concerned, the focus is now on the
emotional and psychological health of employees, which cannot be ensured solely by
providing monetary benefits. Currently, research has been giving much attention to the
spiritual domain of an individual, which could significantly enhance the quality of life. WS
is a workplace feature, which can enhance multiple forms of employee well-being including
PWB (Pawar, 2016). These study findings and other research studies in the area of spirit at
work phenomenon, substantiate the existence of a real valid aspect of employee life and its
impact on multiple levels. It is promising that a considerable number of researchers
acknowledge and understand the existence of the spiritual domain in employees and
encourage a spiritual working climate. For instance, organisations are taking up ideas of
meditation and mindfulness, experimenting with them to promote creative workplaces. In
fact, future research could focus on experimental research designs to gauge the impact of
meditation and mindfulness programmes on employee well-being and productivity.
Research could also be directed at replicating this study within different work contexts and
settings so that the relationships are further validated and results could be generalised.
Employees perceive workplace to be meaningful when they are able to express their whole
self at work. Organisations, which seek optimal human development should reckon with the
benefits a spiritual workplace can deliver and initiate measures to harness the same.
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Human Values, Vol. 23No. 2, pp. 129-147.
Corresponding author
Manju Mahipalan can be contacted at: libra.manjusha@gmail.com
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